Many, many talking points remain from the various exit interviews and published pieces on Kathleen Kennedy’s departure from Lucasfilm.
While some epic gaslighting was delivered in the form of her comments on Star Wars, another major franchise has been largely ignored by commentators. Indiana Jones.
As part of the in-depth Deadline interview, she did mention this franchise.
Many fans simply try and ignore the 4th and 5th movies, settling for Indy and friends departure from Petra into the sunset at the end of Last Crusade as their natural finishing point.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was a financial success, but fans gave a more mixed response. The feeling of being shot in a studio, the character of Mutt, and the geriatric love story are all negative points among commentators.
Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny was a much bigger failure, with fans largely dismissing the film, and cinema goers choosing to stay at home. Unthinkable for an Indiana Jones movie, the very definition of a good time at a movie theater.
During the making of the fifth movie, star Harrison Ford seemed adamant that he was Indiana Jones, and the character would to return on the big screen without him.
On a near $300 million budget, and under $400 million at the box office, any other instalment looked unlikely even before anyone talks about Ford’s age.
In the interview, Kennedy seemed to say that she doesn’t think this is the end of the road for Indiana Jones:
“I don’t think Indy will ever be done, but I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it. These are timeless movies, and Indy will never be done.”
She said any further adventure would need the blessing of all involved, including Spielberg, Lucas, her and her husband, and Ford.
Could Indiana Jones ever come back? It feels like the 4th movie should have come out in the mid-1990’s, and then maybe in the early 2000’s it should have been re-cast.
Then it could have taken it’s rightful place alongside James Bond as an immortal franchise that can allow more stories to be told within a framework, but able to re-invent itself every decade or so through re-casting and playing fast and loose with its own continuity.
Alas, that opportunity may now have been allowed to lass forever.
